New Delhi (PTI): Demanding better pay package and early submission of UGC pay revision committee report, thousands of Central university teachers on Saturday held a day-long dharna at their respective campuses.

Teachers from four capital-based central universities, Delhi University, JNU, IGNOU and Jamia Millia staged dharna at the UGC office here, said Aditya Narayan Mishra, president Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Association (FEDCUTA).

The sit-in was also coupled with a day-long hunger strike by the federation office bearers, Mishra said.

Teachers from other 18 central universities including Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Allahabad University, held dharna in their campuses demanding early submission of UGC pay revision report by the committee headed by Prof G K Chaddha, whose tenure is ending on September five.

"In our meeting with University Grants Commission chairman today, we conveyed our apprehensions over the delay and asked to give our due in the pay revision immediately," he said.

"Despite being the mother of all professions, teaching has of late become one of the lowest priority professions," Mishra said, adding that there was an urgent need to overhaul the working and service conditions for faculty members to retain their interest in the profession.

The federation wants higher pay scale at the entry level for teachers. It has also demanded fast and sound career advancement scheme for teachers.

The teachers observed a nation-wide strike earlier this month to press for their demands.